Trouble Maker
by Kaddy19
Summary: When Zuko busts Aang out of Zhao's prison as the Blue Spirit, they together help another prisoner who is trying to escape. Zuko has seen her before and is not entirely sure what to think of her current situation. There are things she isn't elling him, and those things constantly seem to get them into trouble. Could possibly turn into romance, I don't promise anything, though...
1. Chapter 1

**So, actuually I'm currently writing on another Avatar fan-fic, but this idea came just up in me and I had to write it. The story is mainly following the Avatar series and has some time jumps. To make things easier I put in the name of the current episode the story is in. The story starts with a small part that happened before the actual series so don't be confused. If you have questions or if there is something unclear, feel free to ask. I also apreciate reviews. Your opinion is important to me ;) **

**Since I'm working on my other story as well it might happen that I don't update for a longer period, sorry for that already. I hope you enjoy it!**

**I do not own Avatar**

_A year before "The Boy in the Iceberg" _

Captain Zhao, to Zuko he had been the greatest pain in the ass ever since he was banished and forced to search for the Avatar. And now his uncle decided that it was time to meet up with him. And for what? A stupid game of pai sho!

Zuko was sitting in his room on his ship while his uncle and most of the other men were on Zhao's ship. He was bored, and angry, but that was nothing new. They had been at this harbor for far too long and in his opinion it was time to move on. Uncle Iroh had said that the men needed some rest and that the Avatar wouldn't suddenly show up out of nowhere. Well, that was good to know since he was Zuko's only hope to ever return home.

After another hour of waiting he grew impatient and decided to go look for his uncle. He left the ship with a straight pass and didn't bother about anybody standing in his way. Which was quite harsh behavior, noting that the harbor was extremely crowded. He didn't care anyway.

"Hey, watch out!" someone shouted, but it was already too late. He ran straight into a girl who had packed her arms full of food. He could manage to stay on his feet while the girl fell backwards to the ground, dropping all her supplies.

"Can't you watch out?" he shouted annoyed. The girl gave him a deadly glare.

"Can't you?" she replied coldly. Zuko shivered lightly when she stared at him. She looked like some average Fire Nation girl - according to her red tunic she must've been – pale skin, waving black hair, but her eyes didn't fit in the picture. They were of an icy blue, seeming to be able to freeze one's soul, but then again there was something warm in them.

She started to look confused after Zuko wouldn't stop staring at her. "What is it, do I have something in my face?" she snorted. He shook his head to get out of his thoughts, then he just turned around without hesitation and walked towards Zhao's ship. Stupid peasant, he thought. Who did she think she was?! He heard her get up and shout something, but he could hear what.

When he arrived at Zhao's ship he picked the first man he saw to ask. "Where is my uncle?" The man looked a little scared.

"Prince Zuko, General Iroh… he is uhm…up in the captain's suite with captain Zhao" he muttered. Zuko walked on to the ship's tower. At Zhao's door he knocked, but didn't wait for any answer. He just stormed in to see three men sitting on a pai sho table drinking tea and chatting.

"Ah Prince Zuko, are you coming to join us?" Iroh asked happily. Zuko gritted his teeth.

"We have to move on, uncle" he said fiercely.

"Why don't you drink a cup of tea with us first" captain Zhao offered. "I am sure the Avatar won't run away too fast" he added ironical. "You haven't met my first mate yet, may I introduce you to Lieutenant Hung" He gestured towards the man on his right who bowed his head respectfully. He looked a little younger than Zhao and had black hair, brown eyes and a beard.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, prince Zuko" he said in a respectful tone, not at all sarcastic like Zhao. Zuko nodded short off.

"Uncle" he commanded.

"Come on, prince Zuko. Let us finish our game first" Iroh pleaded. "Have a drink of tea" he offered his nephew a cup. Zuko fetched it out of his hand and wen to sit in a corner.

"Fine" he gave in.

After a little while the door opened again and Zuko couldn't believe it.

"I have brought some more tea" the very girl he ran into earlier said in a polite tone keeping her head down. The three men looked up and Lieutenant Hung gave her a smile.

"General Iroh, prince Zuko" he started "This is my daughter, Lièn" Iroh smiled at the girl, while Zuko dropped his jaw.

"How nice to meet such a beautiful lady, with such a beautiful name as well" he said. The girl giggled a bit.

"Well thank you, sir" she replied. "It is an honor of meeting you" she said smiling "and prince Zuko" She gave the prince a teasing look, not seeming embraced in any kind.

"Would you pour me a cup of tea, my dear?" Zhao asked, friendlier than Zuko had ever heard before. The girl bowed her head respectfully and walked over to the table to fill the men's cups with new tea.

"Would you also like some, prince Zuko" she asked overly polite. The prince scoffed.

"No" he said short off. His uncle cleared his throat loudly, and Zuko added a small forced "thank you" Iroh smiled winning.

"As you wish, prince Zuko" the girl said overly dramatic, which made Zhao laugh a little.

_"The Southern Air Temple"_

"Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible" Zuko told Iroh, who followed him of the ship into the harbor. "I don't wanna risk staying too long and losing his trail"

"You mean the Avatar" Iroh stated. Zuko turned around and gave his uncle a warning glare.

"Don't mention his name on these docks. Once word gets out that he's alive every fire bender will be out looking for him, and I don't want anyone getting in the way" he demanded.

"Getting in the way of what, prince Zuko?" an all too familiar voice asked. Zuko and Iroh turned around in surprise.

"Captain Zhao" Zuko said in a disrespecting tone.

"It's commander now" the commander stated proudly. "And General Iroh" he bowed respectfully to the older man "great hero of our nation"

"Retired general" Iroh added nodding.

"The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome guests any time. What brings you to my harbor?" Zhao asked.

"Our ship is being repaired" Iroh said pointing out at the massive destructions on their ship, caused by the Avatar's attack.

"That's quite a bit of damage" Zhao stated. Zuko became slightly nervous.

"Yes… you wouldn't believe what happened…" he hesitated but then shouted; "Uncle! Tell commander Zhao what happened" Iroh looked at him shocked.

"Yes" he said. "I will do that…It was incredible" he started, but then leaned over to his nephew and whispered; "What, did we crash or something?"

"Yes," Zuko added dramatically "right into an Earth Kingdom ship"

"Really?" Zhao asked doubtfully. "You must regal me with all the thrilling details" he said, playing excited. "Join me for a drink" he challenged Zuko. Zuko moved his chin forward.

"Sorry, but we have to go" he said fiercely and turned his back towards Zhao. Iroh grabbed his shoulder.

"Zuko, show commander Zhao your respect" he demanded. "We would be honored to join you" he said to Zhao. The commander nodded. "Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favorite. Will Lieutenant Hung be joining us again?" he added.

"Zhao turned around at the older man. "I'm afraid not, the lieutenant has been put out of duty after some severe… incidents"

In Zhao's tent Zuko sat by the table while Iroh was inspecting some weaponry in the corner. Zhao had turned his back to them, looking at a great map. He was at the end of his dramatic speech.

"…and by the years end the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule. The Fire Lord will finally claim victory in this world" Zuko looked disbelieving.

"If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly then he is a fool" he stated. Zhao sat down next to him and grinned.

"Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue. So, how is your search for the Avatar going?" he asked interested. Iroh caused the bunch of weapons to fall to the floor with a lot of rumbling.

"My fault, entirely" he apologized.

"We haven't found him yet" Zuko said.

"Did you really expect to?" Zhao asked scornful. "The Avatar died a hundred years ago, along with the rest of the air benders" He looked into Zuko's neutral face "unless you have found evidence that the Avatar is alive" he added with an evil grin.

"No, nothing" Zuko negated. He looked at the cup of tea on the table and suddenly saw it vibrating lightly. Outside was a rumbling noise to hear, then a kick…a scream. Zuko looked at his uncle in surprise. Iroh was watching the vibrating water as well. Zhao took the cup and smiled at the general.

"We have a rather troublesome new prisoner" he stated. "A very dangerous water bender" he added. Iroh nodded at the cup with the still vibrating water.

"I suppose we are near a full moon" he said. Zhao chuckled lightly.

"Yes, but I think we can handle it" he assured the general. Zuko just looked at them a little confused. Zhao continued his conversation.

**That's it for the beginning. It's a little vague, but will become all clear in time...**


	2. Chapter 2

_"The Blue Spirit"_

Commander Zhao and Coronel Shinu where standing on one of the watch towers of the Pohuai stronghold. They were in a discussion, not noticing the blue masked figure on the roof overhearing them.

"Absolutely not" the coronel said after Zhao's request to borrow the Yu Yan archers for a mission. "The Yu Yan archers stay here. Your request is denied, Commander Zhao" Zhao scoffed.

"Coronel Shinu, please reconsider. Their precision is legendary. The Yu Yan can pin a fly to a tree a hundred yards away without killing it. You're wasting their talents, using them as mere security guards"

"I can do whatever I want with their talents. They are my archers and what I say goes" The coronel said finally.

"But my search for the Avatar is…"

"…is nothing but a vanity project" Shinu said. "We're fighting a real war here and I need every man I've got, commander"

"But…"

"That's final! I don't wanna hear another word about it" he said when suddenly a messenger hawk appeared. The coronel took the message and over read it. He became slightly pale. Zhao looked over his shoulder and started to grin while he read.

"It appears I've been promote to admiral" he said smirking. "My request is now an order. Besides that I will settle a certain prisoner here until I return to the Fire Nation, make sure she doesn't get her hands on water"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

At night a carriage reached the stronghold with a blind passenger; the Blue Spirit. After he got in he made his way up to the tower as fast as he could, without getting caught. Admiral Zhao was holding a speech towards all the soldiers in the yard. "…until today only one thing stood in our path to victory, the Avatar! I am here to tell you that he is now my prisoner!" the crowd yelled while the Blue Spirit made its way, unseen. He reached the corridor where the Avatar's cell lay and bet up the guards one by one until he could reach the cell. The Avatar was chained to two pillars in the middle of the room. The boy screamed when the Blue Spirit approached him with his dual swords out. The Spirit used the blades to break the chains and free him. The young Avatar looked at him surprised.

"Who are you?" he asked, but the Blue Spirit merely turned to the door. "What's going on, are you here to rescue me?" The Blue Spirit turned around and signed the Avatar to follow. "I'll take that as a yes" he decided.

They took the same way back that the Blue Spirit took to come. Only, when they were turning around a corner they witnessed something strange happen. A guard was standing in front of a cell door. The Spirit took Aang by the collar and dragged him back around the corner. They both kept watching.

The guard seemed stiff and when he took out his keys to unlock the door his movements seemed totally unnatural, as if he was being forced. He shove the key into the key hole and as soon as the lock opened the door flung open and knocked the man right into the face. He fell against a wall and laid there unconscious. A black haired girl came stumbling out of the cell. She seemed very thin and weak, her black hair was a mess hanging partly in her face and her red clothes looked worn. She was definitely a prisoner. Barely staying on her feet she made her way out, holding on to the walls.

She looked so weak the Blue spirit saw no danger in her, and since she seemed to be a prisoner herself she wouldn't hold them off, would she? They went on, passing the girl who gave them a shocked look. The Blue Spirit could take a glimpse at her eyes while he walked by; ice blue. She almost fell when they finally passed her and for a mere second the Blue Spirit thought of turning around and taking her with. The decision was taken off him. The Avatar stopped and held onto his shoulder.

"We can't just leave her" he stated. The Spirit looked at the Avatar for a second before he rolled his eyes behind the mask and turned around. The girl was still leaning against the wall trying to stand up straight. "Hey, I'm the Avatar, we're gonna help you out" he said to the girl. She looked up slightly in disbelieve. Aang wanted help her stabilize but she wouldn't let him.

A small "No" was all she could bring up though. When they heard the guards approaching the Blue Spirit took it in his own hands and just threw her over his shoulder. They made their way out as fast as possible. They got to the sewerage where they could walk their way unseen for a few meters. The Spirit took his head out of the bars above them to see if the coast was clear. Then they hopped out. Then the real trouble began.

"The Avatar has escaped, close all the gates immediately!" came a loud voice that reached all over the yard. Soon they were surrounded by plenty of guards.

"Stay close to me" Aang said as he walked in front of the Blue Spirit, who had drawn out his swords again. The Girl clung onto his back. Aang blasted a wipe of air towards the soldiers in front of them to get them out of the way, while the spirit defended them from spearmen. They were too late however, the gates had just closed. Aang used another wipe of air to catapult The Blue Spirit and the girl on top of the wall. He followed as fast as he could and propelled them into the air with his staff. They barely made it to the next wall, while spears were thrown at them.

On the wall came guards from both sides attacking them. The Spirit was almost hit by a spear when the girl just touched his opponents arm and he started to scream from pain. Surprised he turned to the other men attacking him and fought them off. The girl had gotten off his shoulder and fought at his back. He couldn't see how exactly she was able to hold them off but it seemed to be working. Another blast of air from Aang kicked the rest of the soldiers off the wall. When Soldiers approached from the yard with ladders Aang seemed to get an idea. However when they were just about to jump onto the provisional stilts the girl was gone. They couldn't bother about her anymore however.

The plan with the stilts seemed to be working and down at the ground they could see the girl again. She was running, at least trying to. The soldiers that weren't busy catching Aang tried to fetch her but every time one almost had her they flinched and let go. She was almost at the last closed gate when one of the stilts was set on fire. The Blue Spirit and Aang fell just in front of the last gate while the girl approached at a small side door. She managed to open it and stood still when she saw the two stand at the closed gate, surrounded by soldiers. They were attacked by fire benders until Zhao approached and held them off.

"Hold your fire!" he demanded. "The Avatar must be captured alive" At that moment the Blue Spirit sung his swords forward to hold them against Aang's throat. Zhao scoffed.

"Open the gate" he said slowly with a fierce look. At that very moment the girl disappeared behind the small door.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After Zuko had woken up from his unconsciousness and had scared off Aang, he decided he could as well return to his ship. Walking through the woods he caught himself thinking about what the Avatar had said _"If we knew each other back then, do you think we could've been friends too?" _What a stupid thing to think, he admonished himself. Shaking his head in disbelief, he came to another thought; that girl. He was certain he had seen her before. Those eyes, they looked so familiar.

Just then he heard a noise from not too far away. It sounded like someone being sick or so. He decided to go look.

When he found the source of the noise he hid behind a tree to watch. It was that girl. She was kneeling on the ground, coughing heavily. It sounded extremely dry. She was spitting out blood, and eventually past out. Zuko risked to come closer and take a better look at her. He moved her head lightly so it wasn't facing the ground anymore and shove the messy hair out of it. With closed eyes she looked like some Fire Nation girl. The face was familiar however. He almost snapped when it came to him. That girl from a year ago or so, he thought. Lièn. She looked thinner than a year ago, and definitely not healthy. Why was she held prisoner, and what had they done to her…?

"Where have you been, prince Zuko?" Iroh asked when his nephew returned to the ship at midday. The prince just walked by without a comment. "You've missed music night" his uncle shouted after him. "Lieutenant Ji sang a stirring love song"

"I'm going to bed, no disturbances" he said and before he disappeared beneath deck he added "Send the medic down to the small boat" Iroh looked a little confused but his nephew was already gone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Iroh stood by the door of the free room he'd picked for their new guest and watched the medic do his work. The girl, Lièn he remembered, was still unconscious. She looked quite terrible. When the medic was finished Iroh looked at him questioning.

"She'll get through" he said, rather confused than relieved. "Normally a person should be dead at this state of dehydration, but she seems to have quite a strong will for survivor" he added. Iroh nodded.

"Well, let's hope she wakes up soon" he said. The medic nodded and turned to go. Iroh entered the room now and went to sit on the bench in the corner of the room. He figured that she must be confused when she wakes up.

He had only gotten this much out of Zuko that he'd found her spitting blood in the woods and passing out. Remembering who she was he'd decided to take her with before she died out there. Iroh knew his nephew had a good heart, although sadly he hid it most of the time.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

She knew someone was watching her, but she couldn't do anything. After the painful dry coughing finally stopped she fell unconscious again. Everything went black and the last thing she remembered was how she got picked up and had tried to at least open her eyes to see, but only managed to blink a little. Through the hazy sight she could make out the scarred face of her carrier before she snapped out completely. When she woke up again the coldness of the forest was gone and she was wrapped into a bunch of blankets. She was laying on a soft surface and her throat didn't feel as dry anymore.

Her eyes remained closed though. To open them would mean to be confronted with the present reality, and she hadn't decided yet if she wanted to face it. She didn't know where she was or how she got here, neither was she sure if she was safe now or in another miserable situation. The fact remained; she didn't want to find out, so she stayed put. Voices appeared from farther away; men talking. From their accent she could hear they were Fire Nation. This should have alarmed her senses, but somehow it didn't. One of those voices sounded so familiar. She listened to it with the memory of a kind face.

"Did she still not wake?" this voice asked in a worried tone.

"She should have by now, general. I don't know what is wrong" the other voice admitted. "She is completely fine, except for some bruises and burns"

"I see, well maybe she's just tired. I will go look after her for some more" the kind voice replied. A door opened and closed again. The sound of footsteps on a metal floor came closer, into her direction. He seemed to be settling down next to her bed. She remained still.

"So" he said "You seem to have gone through quite some things, since we last met" he told her as if she knew she were awake. "I assure you, you have nothing to fear from me, nor from the other men on this ship" he told her kindly. "I must admit, it was quite a surprise when my nephew brought you to the ship, which makes me even more curious on how you got into the situation that brought you here" at that she couldn't hold back her reaction; she flinched. Of course, the man recognized it. She could as well just reveal that she was awake.

Very slow she opened her eyes. The light in the room was dimmed, red. It scared her. The ceiling was of metal. Her gaze wandered to the walls; also metal. They were decorated with fire nation insignias, which freaked her out completely. A thousand thoughts raced through her head while she kicked the blankets away and jumped off the bed. Was she back in captivity? Why did they heal her? Why wasn't she dead?

Ignoring the sharp pain that went through her chest, she made it to a corner of the room and pressed herself against the wall, hands held before her in a defensive manner. Her heart was racing while she stared into the room like a hunted animal. Her gaze fell on the man, sitting next to the bed. He wore red robes and had a rather huge belly. His face was covered with a grey beard, matching the color of his hair that was partly put in a top knot.

He remained completely still, and gave her a calming look. It worked only the slightest bit. She didn't drop her defensive stance, but her breathing started slowing down a little.

"Do you remember who I am, Lièn?" he asked calmly. By the sound of her name she lowered her hands a bit. She nodded. "Then please believe me when I say that I mean you absolutely no harm" His voice remained completely calm and honest.

She had a hard time calming down herself though, but she tried. Her muscles relaxed and she started to notice the extreme pain in her chest and stomach. She couldn't help but keep leaning against the wall and slide to the floor slowly. Sitting on the ground, with her knees to her chin the pain slightly eased. She kept looking at the man, who was now starting to look worried.

"You are General Iroh" she stated with a weak, cracking voice.

"Yes I am" He gave her a small smile.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"On my nephew's ship" he stated without hesitation. She looked around, confused.

"I'm on prince Zuko's ship? Why?"

"My nephew told me that he'd found you in the woods, as he said it 'coughing yourself to death' I think" Iroh tapped his chin and looked at the ceiling. She laughed bitterly.

"Yeah, sounds like me" she replied, trying to smile a bit. "So, your nephew brought me to his ship?"

"Yes"

"Why?" she asked again. He kept looking up and shrugged.

"I don't know," he admitted "but I am glad he did. You would have died out there in your state" now she shrugged.

"Probably" she state dryly.

"You should not sit on the floor like that. Your injuries won't heal any faster from it" he stated just as dry. She looked at herself as if she'd just noticed where she was sitting. Slowly getting up again, she tried not to flinch. Iroh looked worried again. He didn't move though. Instead he first asked.

"May I help you" she first denied, but when she took her first step back to the bed she almost fell down again. Giving a small nod was enough for him to hurry towards her and support her. She sat back down on the bed and he put the blankets around her shoulder. That was when she recognized that she was only wearing her bindings and pants. She wrapped the blankets closer around herself, but was too tired to feel any embracement.

She didn't expect any danger from Iroh, but still wasn't ready to let down her defenses completely. Her eyes remained wary. She watched the room one more time before she looked back at Iroh. He looked back at her, smiled comforting.

"If I may ask, what exactly happened to you?" he asked. She stared at him for a while before she answered.

"Zhao didn't tell you?" she asked, surprised. Iroh shook his head.

"Told us what? I only know that your father is sent back to the home land" he stated. Lièn sighed.

"I hope he did" There was worry in her voice. "But" she continued "he didn't tell you anything about me?" she asked just to be sure. Iroh shook his head again. Relief filled her for a moment, until she saw Iroh's confused expression. "I…uhm…"

"You don't have to tell if you don't want to" Iroh assured her, which she gave him a thankful smile for. "I suggest you get a little more rest and I will make sure you get something to eat and some hot tea" he added, while he stood up. Lièn nodded thankfully. Iroh left the room. Lièn fell back asleep, although she didn't want to.

_It took her all the strength she had left to get the guard to open her cell, but it worked, spirits it worked! The adrenaline in her system gave her enough strength to hit the guy unconscious and get out of the cell. And that was it. She struggled, she fell and it was over. Her pathetic attempt to escape had failed. Then there were these other two, the Avatar and a man with a mask. Sure thing the Avatar was escaping himself, and the masked man; probably an ally. For the fraction of a second she thought she'd be saved, that they would take her with them, but they just ran past her. How stupid of her to have hope! _

_Then the voice; "We can't just leave her" he said, a young voice; the Avatar. The next moment seemed like an eternity of silence. Then there were footsteps coming back into her direction. She had already given up to keep her eyes open when she was lifted up by someone._

_"Hey, I'm the Avatar, we're gonna help you out" The young voice told her. Because she was scared and didn't know what was going to happen she protested; _

_"No" she said weakly, but the one who held her just threw her over his shoulder, and they ran. She felt her carrier's heartbeat, fast but steady._

Zuko was sitting in his room, meditating when someone knocked on the door.

"What is it?" he sked impatiently. The door opened and his uncle stepped inside.

"I was just going to inform you that our guest is awake" Iroh said. Zuko nodded.

"Well did she speak yet?" he asked. Iroh lowered his head.

"No, she is still a little paralyzed, and becoming better by the way" Iroh said, putting emphasis on his last words.

"Good, she can leave when she's healed" Zuko said and was about to leave the room. Iroh grabbed him by the shoulder to hold him back.

"Prince Zuko, isn't there anything more you can tell me about her state of being when you found her?" he asked. Zuko gave his uncle a dead serious look.

"No" he said and stormed out of the room, just to walk right into someone. "Watch where…" he started, but then saw how the girl struggled to just stay on her feet. He grabbed her arm before she could fall. Her eyes widened and she gave him a shocked look. He let go of her immediately and stared back. "What?"

"Nothing" she replied and looked away.

"You shouldn't be here" he stated.

"That's right, you should stay in bed until you feel better" Iroh approached behind Zuko and put a hand on Lièn's shoulder. She looked from Iroh to his nephew and back to Iroh. Zuko merely nodded.

Iroh brought her back to her room, where she slept some more. She would have to figure out later what to do about her current situation.

**Chapter two! This is a longer one. Still a little strange I guess, but you know just as much about Lièn as Zuko does, and that's pretty much what I want it to be for now.**


End file.
